WSN Newsletter
  January 2013
Updated Roster


SEA PAC

Northwestern Division Ham Convention
May 31-June 2, 2013
Seaside Convention Center
415 First Avenue, Seaside Oregon

Start making plans to attend the annual "Sea Pac" Ham Convention.   It is always a good time for all.

Scott, W7IZ (RN7 Manager) says that the NTS will have a special meeting in the "Sea Mist" room on Saturday, June 1; 10:30 AM to 12:00 Noon.  
NTS has a 1.5 hour slot reserved on Saturday of the NW Division Convention in June this year.  We usually meet only every-other-year but this will give us a chance to say hello, answer any questions and update everyone.  AND rest your feet from swap tables!!  This meeting is 'just because' and we hope to see you there if you're coming to SeaPac. 

 More details regarding this 90 minute session will be coming later.    Additional information on Sea Pac is available from their website at : www.seapac.org




NTS Newsletter

Jim Wades, WB8SIW is publishing a independent monthly newsletter regarding the NTS.   It is available from http://ct.arrl.org/

Take a look at this newsletter.    Jim has a bit of history, a bit of current events, and a bit of "looking ahead.






K7BFL on the Road (part 2)
by Don K7BFL

As you may remember from the last WSN Newsletter, XYL Elvera and I traveled "to Alaska" during July and August.   We returned home early in September.   A 21 ft travel trailer was our home during that time.

Highlights of the trip included visits with some Hams in Fairbanks.   Ed, AL7N is the Alaska Section Traffic Manager.   He also is the CW link with the "lower 48" regarding NTS Radiograms.   Ed has an nice Shack with lots of homebrew equipment.   It all works very well!   He monitors 14050 kHz and several other frequencies.   If you have traffic for Alaska, give him a call.   Ed and I had several CW QSO's during the trip; I sent him one radiogram.

While in Fairbanks we had "breakfast" with Ed (and wife Clara), KL7EDK (Jerry), and AB4BL (Linda); along with several other local hams.      Jerry has a very fine "Winlink" gateway station.   His equipment is scanning frequencies on several bands, 24/7, looking for Pactor or WINMOR stations needing to send or receive "emails via radio" using the Winlink 2000 system.      I connected to KL7EDK many times during our trip on 80, 40, and 30 meters, depending on my location and time-of-day.    Linda is the  Emergency Coordinator (EC) for Alaska.   It was nice to meet her and her husband at the lunch.

My rig during the trip was a ICOM 7000.   The antenna was either my "Clip Dipole" (80, 40, 30 20 meters) supported by a nearby tree limb or my 20 ft fiberglass telescoping "Wind Sock Pole"; or monoband "Hamstik" mobile antennas.   My CW paddle was homebrew, made from 2 lever action micro-switches, glued back-to-back.   An important component to my mobile station is a "Battery Booster".   This provides a regulated 13.5 volt voltage to the radio, from a lower battery voltage (and line voltage drop).    This is important because most of my operating was "portable", with the engine not running.

We both enjoyed traveling through British Columbia and Yukon on the way to and from Alaska.   There was much natural beauty during the 6000 mile round-trip.   It was nice to have HF ham radio with us.










WSN Activity Report


July
August
September
October
November
December
QNI
484
368
462
461
455
397
Traffic
76
79
94
156
233
130
Sessions
60
62
60
62
60
60


Greeting from the WSN Manager
by Guy Fiola, N7YRT

Seasons Greetings to all the members!

As we start a new year, it is good to know we are still enjoying the company we keep with the nets we join and the new friends we make along the way.

I know I sure could not do all of this myself, and wouldn’t attempt it if I could. So, thank you for being there day after day and night after night.

My wife Valerie and I enjoyed dinner with our oldest Daughter and her boyfriend in Spokane on Christmas Eve. For Christmas day we stayed home and had dinner with our youngest daughter and her family. New Years Eve. We’ve been invited to a small get together at another hams house in Chewelah, it sounds like fun so we’re going. No straight key night for me this year.

My project as of late is to put together a solar panel / power set up for my small trailer and if needed for the house. I’ve been acquiring parts and pieces over the last two months and finally, I’ve been putting it together. My goal is to make it transferable from the trailer to the house (without extension cords). So I’ve mounted all the major electronics (charge controller, power cut-off, 2kw inverter) into a metal case, an old gutted voting booth. ( the county here went to mail only ballots, and had these as surplus, they make a great container for radio stuff and more. I wish I had gotten more of them) I’m waiting on a fuse block which should be here next week sometime to finish this part of the connections. The plan is to be able to run normal electrical appliances (no AC in the trailer) and other things like hair dryers while only using battery power when we’re camping at craft fairs next year. When doing this “fair thing” in 2012 we were able to camp for free but no hook-ups. Well we like to be able to watch TV and I like my coffee so electricity is a real nice commodity while camping even if it’s free. 2012 was our first attempt at the fair going. We enjoyed the outing as much as the event. We picked up a old trailer which needed some TLC, and old 1972 18’ Prowler. I’ll have more in the solar project than the trailer is worth so that’s one reason I’m making it transferable and not mounting the solar stuff permanently to the trailer. The trailer took some work to fix up to get into operation, like a broken water pipe with a broken water heater. I suspect the previous owner let it freeze and well we all know what winter does to water. I sealed the roof before fall and it is sound and solid (I’m glad I took the time to do the roof, I sleep better knowing what condition it is in).

I didn’t see any evidence of water damage from the roof at all, but the water heater must have leaked for some time, the wood was well rotted under it. Anyway we’ve used it three weekends and it is works good except the power (12v) didn’t hold up without help from a generator. I know the solar panels will do the trick, and can’t wait to try it our next spring/summer. Maybe I’ll run into some of you in my travels. 73, from Valley WA. you’re all fine operators in my book. Best wishes in 2013!!

Don't forget that the evening session of WSN changes back to 6:45 PM on February 1.

Guy  Fiola

N7YRT

WSN Manager (with a lot of help from you)

 

PS We’re still in need of a RN7 relay/ liaison on Thursday evenings, please consider it, it is easy and the friends you make will be worth the effort.

       RN7 meets 3560 at 7:30PM and 9:30PM local.  (you could do it).